NWC WRESTLING DROPS TOP-10 MATCHUP

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

One final match before the winter break brought an intriguing top-10 matchup for the No. 9-ranked Northwest College wrestling team, which dropped a tough contest against No. 2-ranked Western Wyoming 33-14 in Rock Springs.

Kicking off the match the Trappers immediately fell behind, with Avery McSpadden conceding a pin at 125 pounds in just under two minutes to give the Mustangs a 6-0 lead.

At 133 pounds, a late point concession moved the match result from a decision to a major decision loss for Jose Treyes who lost 11-3 to move the match score to 10-0.

Trying to regain momentum at 141 pounds, a top-five matchup greeted Bobur Birdiyorov who was ranked No. 5 in the most recent NJCAA poll while his opponent Joe Mecham was ranked No. 1.

Birdiyorov came out aggressively from the punch, earning an early takedown and holding a lead late into the second period.

He was called in a slam, moving the match to 4-3 late in the second after the penalty.

That in addition to what coach Jim Zeigler believed were missed takedowns caused him to argue with the officials.

After discussion, Zeigler was deducted a team point from the Northwest score.

"They called a slam on Bobur, that's a three-point swing in the match. It erased our two point takedown and awarded him a point for a penalty which is a three-point swing and suddenly it's 4-3," Zeigler said. "I own that, and I am going to fight for our kids."

Zeigler said that he owned the point deduction, and did not feel bad about standing up for Birdiyorov in the match.

Birdiyorov pulled ahead in the third period with two takedowns to earn the 8-6 victory, and move the score to 10-2 after the point deduction — which was only Zeigler's second point deduction in his 30-year career at Northwest.

Moving into 149 pounds, Jake Olsen was pinned in under two minutes — pushing the Western Wyoming advantage out to 16-2.

That trend continued at 157 pounds, with Gus Harrison also pinned in the first period to make it 22-2.

The lead was pushed even further to 28-2 with a forfeit at 165 pounds after Orrin Jackson did not clear concussion protocol.

At 174 pounds, it was the top two wrestlers in the nation matching up, with No. 1 Aziz Fayzullaev for the Trappers taking on No. 2 Christian Smoot.

Both athletes scored late in the period, and Fayzullaev looked to hold onto his 4-2 lead.

The Trappers elected to grant Smoot an escape to start the third, and forced the period into a neutral start.

Fayzullaev took advantage, scoring a takedown with under a minute left and adding a final point to secure a 7-3 victory and make the score 28-5.

Cody Todd lost by technical fall at 184 pounds and pushed the advantage to 33-5 for Western Wyoming.

Two scoreless periods at 197 pounds had both wrestlers searching for answers, and Ryker Blackburn pushed through from a neutral start to earn a takedown and win the match with an eventual 3-0 decision.

Cody Pinkerton pushed through early and kept applying pressure to his opponent, earning a first round pin at heavyweight to make the final score 33-14.    

CHANGES COMING
Heading into the break the Trappers know that there will be changes coming to the lineup in the second semester.

"We are going to make some changes come January," Zeigler said.

He said Brady Lowry will be returning at 149 pounds after remaining sidelined through the semester due to injuries sustained in the bear attack in October.

Jackson is expected to return at 165 pounds from his concussion, and Zeigler said Gavin Carter will compete at 184 pounds assuming he makes the weight drop from his 197 pounds listed on the roster.

"We are going to stiffen our upper lip a little bit in January," Zeigler said.